News
Advocating for a safer winter!
Help us get an Extreme Weather Plan in Chicago!
There are too many people sleeping outside in Chicago. It’s really bad for them, it’s bad for everyone else and it doesn’t have to be like this.
As Fall winds down into another Chicago winter, we need to think about what comes next for our neighbors who sleep outside. We are entering this year unprepared as a City, once again.
The City of Chicago does not have an extreme weather plan, either for hot or cold. This lack of foresight is dangerous. This summer, when it was obvious that the heat would be too much for some people, the City attempted to get helpful information out. However, different departments issued different advisories, listing different sites. In addition, several of those sites had no air conditioning, some were closed, some said they were not cooling centers and employees at some locations had no idea they were designated a cooling center. Most important, there were no 24 hour locations – a key for people in tents or overheated apartments.
That litany of issues describes a lot of things, but a well thought out and implemented plan is not one of them. The situation is worse in cold weather.
Every year, between 19 and 60 Chicagoans freeze to death on our streets. This doesn’t even account for the frostbite and myriad other complications that come from being too cold for too long. Once again, we have no real plan – no consistent standards, no fixed locations, no trained staff and no 24-hour safe place.
For 9 out of 10 Chicagoans who did what the City told them, and called 311 for help, there was no help from the City. For 7 out of 10 callers, there is no record of what happened to them – we don’t track those outcomes. That’s not a help line. It’s just cruelty.
This is ridiculous. We can open 15,000 beds for new arrivals in one year, but we can’t open a fraction of that for Chicagoans in crises? Of course we can.
The City committed to a hearing on extreme weather planning this fall, first after the DNC, then in September, now possibly being pushed into October or even January!?
No. Timing matters here. We need to get on this.
Please write your Alder. Their email is below. If there is no pressure, there will be no effort. If you could, please CC us at info@chicagohelpinitiative.org, so we know how many letters have been sent. Please consider saying:
We need a real extreme weather plan. This should include:
- We need enough indoor, habitable space to accommodate Chicagoans in crises overnight.
- Locations must be consistent, with predictable and appropriate opening and closing standards.
- All overnight locations must be staffed by trained personnel.
- Immediately restore the 2000 shelter beds lost in the last decade for this winter. This is a key reason more people are outside.
- Do an immediate assessment of shelter bed need going forward.
If you don’t know who your Alderman is, you can use this site to find them by putting in your address:
Thank you for being a part of trying to move this issue forward!
Doug F
Alders and e-mails:
| Ward | Alder | Phone | |
| 1 | La Spata, Daniel | (872) 206-2685 | |
| 2 | Hopkins, Brian | (312) 643-2299 | |
| 3 | Dowell, Pat | (773) 373-9273 | |
| 4 | Robinson, Lamont J. | (312)744-2690 | |
| 5 | Yancy, Desmon C. | (312) 744-6832 | |
| 6 | Hall, William E. | (773) 241-3100 | |
| 7 | Mitchell, Gregory I. | (773) 731-7777 | |
| 8 | Harris, Michelle A. | (773) 874-3300 | |
| 9 | Beale, Anthony | (773) 785-1100 | |
| 10 | Chico, Peter | (773) 768-8138 | |
| 11 | Lee, Nicole T. | (773) 254-6677 | |
| 12 | Ramirez, Julia M. | (773) 475-6783 | |
| 13 | Quinn, Marty | (773) 581-8000 | |
| 14 | Gutierrez, Jeylu B. | 773-236-0117 | |
| 15 | Lopez, Raymond A. | (773) 823-1539 | |
| 16 | Coleman, Stephanie D. | (773) 306-1981 | |
| 17 | Moore, David H. | (773) 783-3672 | |
| 18 | Curtis, Derrick G. | (773) 284-5057 | |
| 19 | O’Shea, Matthew J. | (773) 238-8766 | |
| 20 | Taylor, Jeanette B. | (773) 966-5336 | |
| 21 | Mosley, Ronnie L. | (773) 881-9300 | |
| 22 | Rodriguez, Michael D. | (773) 762-1771 | |
| 23 | Tabares, Silvana | (773) 582-4444 | |
| 24 | Scott, Monique L. | (773) 533-2400 | |
| 25 | Sigcho-Lopez, Byron | (773) 523-4100 | |
| 26 | Fuentes, Jessica L. | (773) 395-0143 | |
| 27 | Burnett, Jr., Walter | (312) 432-1995 | |
| 28 | Ervin, Jason C. | (773) 533-0900 | |
| 29 | Taliaferro, Chris | (773) 237-6460 | |
| 30 | Cruz, Ruth | (773) 628-7874 | |
| 31 | Cardona, Jr., Felix | (773) 824-2000 | |
| 32 | Waguespack, Scott | (773) 248-1330 | |
| 33 | Rodriguez Sanchez, Rossana | (773) 840-7880 | |
| 34 | Conway, William | (312) 744-6820 | |
| 35 | Ramirez-Rosa, Carlos | (773) 887-3772 | |
| 36 | Villegas, Gilbert | (773) 745-4636 | |
| 37 | Mitts, Emma | (773) 379-0960 | |
| 38 | Sposato, Nicholas | (773) 283-3838 | |
| 39 | Nugent, Samantha | (773) 736-5594 | |
| 40 | Vasquez, Jr., Andre | (773) 654-1867 | |
| 41 | Napolitano, Anthony V. | (773) 631-2241 | |
| 42 | Reilly, Brendan | (312) 642-4242 | |
| 43 | Knudsen, Timothy R. | (773) 348-9500 | |
| 44 | Lawson, Bennett R. | (773) 525-6034 | |
| 45 | Gardiner, James M. | (773) 853-0799 | |
| 46 | Clay, Angela | (312) 744-6831 | |
| 47 | Martin, Matthew J. | (773) 868-4747 | |
| 48 | Manaa-Hoppenworth, Leni | (773) 784-5277 | |
| 49 | Hadden, Maria E. | (773) 338-5796 | |
| 50 | Silverstein, Debra L. | (773) 262-1050 |
Did you know?
30% of Chicago’s homeless population suffers from mental illness.
“They help us with food, social services. Nothing but love, that’s how I feel about the Chicago Help Initiative.”
Andre